Aberdeen to place 10-year parks and recreation plan on board agenda after consultant presentation

Consultants from McAdams told the Aberdeen Town Board they have finalized a 10-year comprehensive parks and recreation plan that the board will place on its agenda for adoption in two weeks.

"This will act as a guidebook for the next 10 years for parks, recreation activity and open space for the town of Aberdeen," said Eliza Monroe, the McAdams project manager, who introduced the team and summarized the plan's process and recommendations. Monroe said the project began in September 2024 and included an inventory of facilities, staff interviews, community events and a statistically valid mailed survey that drew 331 completed responses.

The consultants said the survey and public engagement informed a priority investment rating that placed paved trails and greenways at the top of investment needs, followed by natural-surface hiking trails, an outdoor amphitheater, a splash pad or water feature, water-sports access (kayak/canoe), a community garden, a dog park and a downtown multifunctional space. High-priority program areas included aquatics, arts programming, fitness and wellness, special events, adult athletics and pickleball.

Monroe outlined six themes of recommendations: parks, facilities and maintenance; trails, access and connectivity; recreation programs and community use; public awareness and user experience; staffing, operations and service delivery; and funding tools and financial alignment. The plan lists short-, near- and long-term action items, from condition assessments and restroom renovations to coordinating greenway priorities with NCDOT and pursuing easements for future connections.

The presentation noted current staffing of three full-time employees in the parks department. The plan recommends gradual staffing increases, including one program hire within three to five years plus additional maintenance positions, to support expanding services as new facilities and programs come online.

Monroe also described how adoption of the plan would affect grant eligibility. She said adoption would make Aberdeen eligible to apply for competitive state and federal funding programs that often require an adopted parks plan as part of the application package.

Board members asked site-specific questions about parks such as Berkeley Park and Sharp Park, and about program priorities. One board member confirmed that the town's new pickleball courts at Lake Park were expected to begin construction imminently. "I think they're going to start the very beginning, end of this week, actually," a board member said during the discussion; the board also noted that courts require curing time after installation and that finishing could take weeks to months.

The consultants said the plan would be placed on the town board meeting agenda in two weeks for formal adoption; once adopted, the document will be the town's official 10-year parks and recreation plan and will be used to support grant applications and capital planning.

The board did not take a formal vote on the plan at this meeting; the next step is formal consideration and adoption at a future board meeting.